1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reactor to which a reactant is supplied, and which causes reaction of the reactant.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a fuel cell has been attracting attention as a clean power supply system with its high efficiency of energy conversion, and is practically used for a fuel cell automobile or an electrified housing. In addition, in a cellular phone or a notebook-type personal computer that is downsized or highly functioned as mobile means as well, a research and development for downsizing, and reducing the cost of, the fuel cell, thereby mounting a fuel cell as a power supply has been promoted.
The fuel cell used here is a device that generates electric energy by electrochemical reaction between a fuel consisting of hydrogen, for example, and oxygen. Such a fuel cell is equipped with a reactor having a reformer that generates hydrogen from a mixture gas of a fuel and water, for example.
A reacting device such as an independently arranged reformer or a carbon monoxide remover is connected by a connecting pipe or the like, thereby configuring this reactor. A liquid fuel such as gasified alcohols and gasoline and a high temperature water vapor are reformed and reacted in a reformer set at a comparatively high temperature, thereby taking out hydrogen, and carbon monoxide that is a by-product of the reforming reaction is removed in a carbon monoxide remover set at a comparatively low temperature (Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2003-48702).
In the reactor as described above, a reacting device such as a reformer or an carbon monoxide remover is independently arranged, and reacting devices are connected to each other by means of a connecting pipe or the like, thereby configuring the reactor. Thus, it has been difficult to minimize the reactor to an extent such that it can be mounted on a portable telephone, a notebook-type personal computer and the like.
In addition, a process for manufacturing the reactor has become complicated and cost reduction has been difficult because a reacting device such as a reformer or a carbon monoxide remover is separately manufactured.
In addition, in order to retain a temperature of each reacting device and improve thermal efficiency, a heat insulation container surrounding each reacting device is provided, whereby a hollow heat insulation structure may be formed. In this case, a plurality of supply ports or discharge ports for supplying a reactant to each reacting device and discharging a product from each reacting device are provided at the side of a heat insulation container, and such each reacting device and heat insulation container are connected to each other at that portion. At this time, if each reacting device is set at a predetermined temperature, as a result of an occurrence of a comparatively large temperature difference between the reacting device and the heat insulation container, a comparatively large thermal stress works on a connection portion, whereby the connection portion may be damaged or cracked.